Seeing Everything Easier

Cataract Surgery May Be The Key To A Longer Life

There are plenty of known ways to prolong your life. For example, exercise and a healthy diet are probably the first two things that come to mind when you want to discuss how to live longer. However, there are many smaller things you can do to add a few years to your lifespan. For example, did you know that cataract surgery may help prolong your life? It’s true!

A study was conducted for two decades on 74,044 women aged 65 and older. All of these women had cataracts. Of the women, 41,735 of them had the cataracts removed. These women enjoyed a 60 percent lower risk of death. The findings of the study were published online in JAMA Ophthalmology in October of 2017.

As many elderly people know, a cataract is a clouding and discoloration of the lens of the eye. Cataracts cause images to become increasingly fuzzy. They also make eyes more sensitive to glare, reduce color contrast, and decrease night vision. Cataracts are often only a symptom of aging, and anyone who lives long enough has a good chance of developing them. However, risk factors that increase cataracts are excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and family history.

Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently preformed surgeries in the country. The study found that the women who had cataract surgery subsequently enjoyed a reduced risk of accidents. However, these same women also enjoyed a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and infectious diseases. The risk of death from cancer was also reduced. Similar studies found the same risk reductions in men.

It seems that removing cataracts increasing the likelihood of a person enjoying a higher quality of life. This means the person is more likely to exercise, enjoy social relationships, and avoid unnecessary accidents. Naturally, this also means that if you or someone you love is considering cataract surgery, the evidence suggests it’s an important thing to do!